At a called Appling County Board of Education meeting held on Tuesday, April 24, CFO Adrienne Taylor and Superintendent Scarlett Copeland gave an update to board members on the current and upcoming budgets. According to the duo, despite continued cuts from the state, the school system’s finances are in good standing and should be able to fund the upcoming year’s budget without having to furlough staff or raise taxes.

The items that hit the system hard this year were changes made to insurance coverage for classified personnel, as mandated by the state, and state equalization funding. Changes to the way the system provides insurance coverage for classified personnel could cost the system as much as $115,000.00 per year for the next three years. The state is also taking funding from system’s that are considered to be wealthy (which includes Appling) and giving to less fortunate systems across the state in what is being reported as an equalization funding cut. This cut will cost the system $735,551.00 this year. However, Taylor reported that the state has stated that they may give $5,000,000.00 back, this year only, to offset the equalization funding cut, but it has not been determined how this money would be redistributed to school systems.

The anticipated fund balance on July 1 is expected to be around $6,000,000.00. The projected revenue for Fiscal Year 2013 is projected to be $26,900,544.27 with expenditures estimated at $28,187,052.47. Taylor did warn that these are preliminary figures and could change.

Board meeting Monday, April 23

Following a closed-door session for personnel purposes, board members approved a recommendation to open the position of Appling County Middle School (ACMS) principal. Supt. Copeland later reported to The News-Banner that the current principal at ACMS, Dr. Lynn Overstreet, would be moving to Appling County High School to serve as the director of Career, Techinical and Agricultural Education.

Students from Appling County Elementary led the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the playing of the National Anthem by the ACES Violin Ensemble, under the direction of Sonja Cain. The students did a great job and received appreciation from everyone present.

Under personnel decisions the board approved recommendations from Copeland to open an inclusion position at ACHS, open an English teacher position at ACHS, open a full-time clerical position at Altamaha Elementary and open a second grade teaching position at Appling Primary. Resignations/retirements from Buddy Morris, Catherine Carter, Earl Griffin, Sandra Ballenger, Johnnie Mae Reddish, Trudy Greenway and Kimberly Martin were approved. System-wide personnel for the 2012-2013 school year were approved unanimously.

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